After winning their first regional softball title since 2012 last season, the Christian County Lady Colonels are poised to make it back-to-back regional titles in 2019. However, the 2nd Region will be no cakewalk this year, as the region appears to be as deep and talented as it may have ever been since the switch to fast pitch softball.
The Lady Colonels return 8 players that started at some point during the 2018 season. At the top of that list is senior shortstop Emmy Blane. The UK commit hit .420 with 16 home runs and 64 RBI’s. Not far behind that is Murray State commit, centerfielder Tyler Shemwell. As a junior, Shemwell hit .417 last year with 12 home runs and 56 RBI’s. Anothe of the offensive weapons for the Lady Colonels will be junior Hope Jones. Jones leads the returners with a .444 batting average last season, and came up with 5 home runs and 38 RBI’s.
Other returning starters include rightfielder Pickle Winkler, leftfielder Macy Lancaster, Reni Shemwell, who is expected to move from 1st base over to 3rd base, and catcher Taylor Shemwell. Kelsey O’Daniel and Tenley Gilbert are expected to see significant action on the field. O’Daniel at 1st base, while Gilbert is expected to serve as a utility infielder.
While there is no doubt that Christian County will be able to score runs, the key to this team’s postseason success could be inside the circle. The Lady Colonels lost their top two pitchers from last season in Lexie O’Daniel and Regan Hancock. Expected to be #1 in the circle for Christian County this season will be junior Hannah Sumner. Sumner was 8-0 last season, with a 2.58 ERA, and 34 strikeouts in 54.2 innings of work.
Freshman Riley Hancock is expected to see significant innings as well. Coach Johnny Blane added that he expects to see junior Kelsey O’Daniel and 7th grader Gracie Harned see action in the circle as well.
Looking at the 2019 edition of the Lady Colonels, scoring runs and fielding the ball appear to be the strengths of the team. A chance at repeating in the region and contending for a state title would appear to rest in how the young pitching staff develops over the course of the season. Coach Blane notes that leadership will be another strong point with 4 seniors and 3 juniors returning.
The 2nd Region is shaping up to be a battle in the 2019 season. Caldwell County, who lost a 9-inning classic to Christian County in the regional final in 2018, returns eight starters. Madisonville is still loaded with talent, and brings back the 2017 state tournament MVP. Lyon County is loaded with young talent. Webster County will be very strong in the circle, while Henderson County is expected to be much improved.
So, while the Lady Colonels, will enter the season, as the 2nd Region favorites, if they repeat and earn another trip to the state tournament they will have definitely earned it.
Christian County enters the 2019 season as the 2nd winningest team in Kentucky fastpitch history with 723 wins. They are 11 wins behind North Laurel. Last season, the Lady Colonels won 16 more games than North Laurel, so another season with that differential would move Christian County into the #1 position. Owensboro Catholic is in third place with 695 wins.